Snapchat snapchat.com How to make your Snapchat private
Snapchat has no single private switch. In Settings, set Contact Me to Friends and View My Story to My Friends (or Custom to exclude specific friends). The defaults already limit both to people you've added.
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- snapchat.com
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- Privacy settings
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Step by step
- 1
Open Settings
Go to your Profile, then Settings.
- 2
Limit who can contact you
Go to App & Privacy, then Contact Me, and choose Friends. With Friends, only people you've added can send Snaps, Chats or Calls.
- 3
Limit who can see your Story
Go to My Privacy & Data, then View My Story, and choose My Friends. Choose Custom to block specific friends from seeing your Story.
- 4
Post to friends only
When you post, pick the friends-only option rather than a public one. Snapchat's help center covers the difference between My Story Public and My Story Friends.
Watch out for
- Snapchat doesn't have a single setting that makes an account private. Contact and Story are separate settings.
- Privacy settings on a Snap stay with that Snap, even if you change your settings later.
- Snapchat says people you've blocked can still view content you post publicly.
- Contact Me offers Friends or Friends and Contacts. The Everyone option is no longer available except for Creator and business accounts.
What stays out there
Privacy settings control who sees your Snapchat. They don't touch what other companies already hold. A phone number you used to sign up, a username that matches other profiles, or a public Story someone screenshotted can still show up in people-search sites and old search results.
Serus finds where your details are listed and removes them, so locking down one app isn't the only step.
Frequently asked
Is a private Snapchat account possible?
There's no single switch. Set Contact Me to Friends and View My Story to My Friends, which are the defaults Snapchat describes.
Who can see my Snapchat Story by default?
Snapchat says only Snapchatters you've added can view your Story by default.
Can I hide my Story from one friend?
Yes. Under View My Story, tap Custom to block specific friends.
Do blocked users see my public posts?
Snapchat says users you've blocked can still view content you post publicly.
Sources
Related guide Guide: How to Delete Yourself from the Internet Something changed? If these steps no longer match what you see, tell us and we'll re-check it.
